United S.Airlines travel tips

Delta Air Lines hit a nerve with loyal fliers, arguably its most important customer bases, when it upended elite status qualification in its SkyMiles loyalty program last month. Customers provided the carrier with ample feedback of what CEO Ed Bastian described as a “360 [degree] view” of the controversial changes.

Airlines have new bragging rights ahead of the busy summer travel season.  For the third year in a row, Southwest Airlines was ranked as the top airline for customer satisfaction for economy or basic economy, according to JD Power's 2024 North America Airline Satisfaction Study published on Wednesday.

When you’re looking for flights, you’re probably most loyal to the airline that you have status with or that has a hub in your city—most often, they’re one in the same. Or, you’re looking for the best flight deals, which should be a little bit easier to come by this spring as flight costs are down 7% year-over-year. But safety, comfort, and other factors are also top of mind when it comes to booking flights, and a new study from WalletHub, a personal finance company, took those considerations and other metrics into consideration to determine the best U.S. airlines of 2024.

Checking a bag when flying with several U.S. airlines is, once again, getting more expensive. It’s been about five years since the major full-service U.S. carriers collectively raised checked bag fees to $30 and $40 for the first and second checked bags, respectively. Now, some airlines are back at it, making it costlier for passengers to access the plane’s cargo hold.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, January 17. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Flight attendants at Southwest Airlines overwhelmingly rejected a new contract over the weekend. The move is the latest in the mounting tensions between cabin crew and U.S. airline management that could result in the industry’s first labor action in more than a decade.

The U.S. airline industry today is dominated by four big airlines: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines. Together, they fly 78% of all of the seats in the U.S. market.

A U.S. Senate panel on Monday announced an investigation into airline fees for baggage, seat selection, ticket changes and other services, demanding justifications from the CEOs of five major carriers for these charges that generate billions of dollars in annual revenue for them.

It’s about to get easier to fly to Japan thanks to a pair of new flights to Tokyo from two different U.S. airlines.

The CEO of JetBlue Airways testified in court on Monday that the company’s proposed $3.8 billion acquisition of Spirit Airlines is a critical part of his plan to turn the airline into a more significant competitor to the four largest U.S. air carriers.

The U.S. Department of Justice heads to trial on Tuesday to urge a federal judge to block JetBlue Airways‘ planned $3.8 billion acquisition of ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines.

H​urricane Idalia is barreling toward the Florida Gulf Coast and is expected to make landfall as a major hurricane on Wednesday and disrupting travel up and down the coast.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, January 6, and here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

U.S. airline profits are set to come under pressure in 2023 as they look to shell out more cash to retain pilots amid worries about the impact of a potential recession on travel demand.

American Airlines Group must end its alliance with JetBlue Airways Corp., a federal judge ruled on Friday, agreeing with the U.S. Justice Department that the arrangement means higher prices for consumers and ordering the companies to part ways within 30 days.